Tang Dynasty: Slacking off in the Imperial Kitchen, exposed by Si Zi

Chapter 217 The Ice and Snow World is Achieved

Su Mu wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, then turned and went into the kitchen.

He turned the system space's inventory upside down.

The whole Kirin melon has a green skin and yellow flesh, and its sweetness is so intense it's almost sickening.

The seasonal peaches are about the size of a fist, with dew clinging to their fuzzy skin.

There are also fruits redeemed from various systems.

Basket after basket were stacked on the cutting board, the colors piled together, illuminating half of the kitchen!

Su Mu then took out three more items from his spatial storage.

A large jar of coconut milk, two jars of condensed milk, and a bucket of thick red bean paste.

The red bean paste was made by him the night before last.

The system-produced premium red beans are all plump and cooked for four hours without adding a single grain of sugar; the red bean paste is naturally sweet.

Cut the fruit into pieces and arrange them on plates according to their type.

The crushed ice was shoveled into a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl, piling up into a small mountain.

Pour coconut milk over the iceberg, add condensed milk, top with diced fruit, and finally drizzle with a spoonful of red bean paste.

Su Mu made twenty bowls.

Each bowl features a different combination of fruit, each with a unique color. Some are a mix of red and yellow, others a blend of purple and green, with crushed ice reflecting a cool light between the fruit and sauce.

Cool air wafted out from the rim of the bowls, and twenty bowls of iced drinks were placed on the stone table, the entire tabletop covered with a layer of mist.

Wang Dequan carried the last bowl out of the kitchen, his hands trembling from the cold.

"Mr. Su, is this...is this a banquet?"

"Didn't Your Majesty want an ice banquet?"

Su Mu wiped his hands with a cloth.

"Go and gather everyone together."

Shen Shi (3-5 PM).

Chengqing Hall of Taiji Palace.

The layout of the palace was personally arranged by Li Shimin.

Twelve large bronze vats were arranged around the hall, filled with crushed ice. Cool air wafted out from the mouths of the vats, gathering towards the center along the ground.

As soon as the palace doors opened, waves of heat and cold air crashed against the threshold, and white mist billowed out.

Little Sizi was the first to rush in.

"ah!!"

The little girl stretched out her arms and twirled three times in the hall. Her skirt fluttered, and a cool breeze crept into her collar and cuffs, giving her goosebumps all over. She jumped for joy.

"It's so cold! It's just like winter!"

Li Shimin walked behind, and as soon as he stepped over the threshold, his pace slowed down.

On the long table in the center of the hall, twenty bowls of iced drinks were lined up in a row.

The ice shards were piled high, and the colors of the fruit shone through the ice crystals. Coconut milk and condensed milk flowed down the iceberg, while red bean paste sank to the bottom, its dark red color faintly visible.

The long table was shrouded in a layer of cold mist, which shone with a soft, milky white light in the candlelight inside the hall.

Li Shimin stood before the table, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Empress Zhangsun followed her in.

The empress was carried in a palanquin by palace maids.

She wore a thin gauze outer garment, and her complexion was better than a few days ago, with a light pink tinge to her lips.

The mung bean cakes and cloud cakes that Su Mu has been fed these past few days have paid off; his energy has visibly returned.

"Mother!"

Little Sizi ran over and grabbed her hand.

"Come and try Qibing! It's made by the pot! It's super delicious!"

Empress Zhangsun was pulled to the table by her daughter and glanced down at the iced drink in the bowl.

She reached out and touched the inside of the bowl.

The coolness seeped through the porcelain surface into her palm, and her fingers twitched slightly as she smiled.

"Is this what Su Mu made?"

Li Lizhi helped her sit down.

"Mother, please try it. Su Mu made a bowl for me to try yesterday, and I'm still thinking about it."

Emperor Emeritus Li Yuan was the last to enter the palace.

Today, the old man wore a dark blue round-necked robe and had a palm-leaf fan tied to his waist.

As soon as he entered the room, he stopped fanning himself.

"Whoa!"

Li Yuan took three steps to the table, grabbed a bowl, held it to his nose, and took a deep breath.

The icy chill, mixed with the milky aroma of coconut milk and the sweetness of peaches, hits you right in the head!

The old man's eyebrows twitched twice.

"Eat up, what are you waiting for?"

Su Mu leaned against a pillar in the palace, his arms crossed over his chest.

No need to say it a second time.

Li Yuan scooped up a large spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth.

The crushed ice crunched between my teeth, and coconut milk coated with mango chunks slid down my throat. A chill exploded in my chest, traveling down my spine...

The infection spread to the limbs.

The old man's shoulders shrugged suddenly, and he shrank from his neck to his waist.

"Hiss!"

After shrinking it, the spoon was already in the bowl scooping out the second spoonful.

Li Shimin picked up the bowl and scooped out half a spoonful.

His eating habit is to take a small bite first, and only put the rest of the food in his mouth if he is satisfied.

The moment the ice shards touched his tongue, his fingers gripped the rim of the bowl tightly.

The smooth red bean paste sits atop a base, while the sweetness of condensed milk and the coolness of crushed ice surge up one after the other. The diced fruit bounces on the tongue, and as the juices flow in and out, the entire mouth is filled with sweetness and coolness!

The second spoonful, the third spoonful, the fourth spoonful...

Li Shimin's spoon moved faster and faster.

Little Sizi ran to Empress Zhangsun's side with a bowl in her hand.

She had already eaten most of her own bowl, and her mouth was smeared with red bean paste and coconut milk, looking rather gaudy.

"Mommy, you're such a good godmother!"

Empress Zhangsun took the small spoon handed to her by a palace maid and scooped up a small spoonful.

Hold the crushed ice in your mouth and let it melt slowly without chewing it.

When ice water and coconut milk are mixed together, the temperature drops, and the sweet flavor gradually seeps out.

She closed her eyes briefly.

The sweltering heat of May had weighed on her for days, but the pent-up frustration in her chest was mostly dispelled by this icy breath. The coolness in her throat made breathing much easier.

"It tastes good."

The Queen's voice was soft, but she spoke clearly.

Li Shimin paused for a moment with his spoon.

He turned his head and glanced at Empress Zhangsun.

The empress had a faint smile on her lips, no cold sweat on her forehead, and her cheeks were the rosy color of a living person.

His Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't say anything and continued eating with his head down.

Li Chengqian sat in the corner, his bowl empty, and looked up at the others who were enjoying their meal.

Holding the empty bowl, she swallowed back the words she was about to say and began scraping the remaining red bean paste from the bowl with a spoon.

Well, looks like there's no share for me. I'm lucky to have anything to eat at all.

Li Lizhi held the bowl and took small sips of ice.

She was unusually quiet today, barely speaking, and her fingers were wrapped in gauze; the blisters from the fire she got last night hadn't healed yet.

Fang Qingjun did not come.

However, Fang Qingjun's status was not high enough for such a palace banquet.

Su Mu glanced at the heads in the hall, but didn't think much of it.

The twenty bowls of iced drinks in the hall were all gone in less than a quarter of an hour.

Li Yuan finished three bowls by himself, licking the bottom of the bowls cleaner than if they had been washed.

When Xiao Sizi finished the last bowl, his head started to droop little by little.

It's too cold, and eating too much makes me sleepy. She nestled in Empress Zhangsun's arms, coconut milk still clinging to the corners of her mouth, her eyelids drooping.

"Brother, can we still make a pact?"

Before he could finish speaking, his breathing became even, and he fell asleep.

Su Mu walked to the long table and began tidying up the empty bowls.

The system panel popped up in the corner of my field of vision.

[Temporary Mission: Ice and Snow World]

Progress: 100%

[Mission Complete!]

[Reward issued: 1 Millennium Papaya (already stored in the ingredient space)]

Su Mu tapped his finger on the rim of the bowl.

Here it is!

He didn't rush to check, but stacked the bowls and plates and handed them to Wang Dequan.

Outside the palace, the May sun blazed down.

The palace was cool from the ice vats, and the white mist on the ground had not yet dissipated, clinging to the ankles of the palace servants.

Su Mu stood at the entrance of the palace, one foot inside and one foot outside.

The heat outside made the right side of his face burn, while the cold air inside made goosebumps rise on the left side of his arm.

He suddenly remembered something.

What happens to the ice in these ice tanks after the banquet?

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